High pressure cylinders are used widely to transport and dispense large quantities of various industrial gases. Such cylinders can be used individually or manifolded to supply the user's gas requirements.
Presently, high pressure cylinders are fitted with multi-purpose valve systems. The valve systems are suitable to charge the cylinder with gas. The valve systems are also suitable to dispense gas from the cylinder. In addition, the valve systems are suitable to act as a shut-off device to stop the dispensing of gas. And, moreover, the valve systems also serve a safety function to prevent excessive pressure rise through a pressure-sensitive cap or the like.
While every charged fluid cylinder requires attachment of a valve system at all times (at least to provide a safety and shut-off mechanism), it is not necessary that every gas cylinder have a multi-function valve system at all times. The additional features (such as pressure-reducing stage, residual product check devices or even dispensing or charging elements) create an added expense, which is not necessary during transport, handling and storing of gas cylinders.
Besides cost considerations, such conventional multi-function valve systems protrude above the gas cylinder and are therefore susceptible to deformation and/or breakage, particularly during cylinder mishandling (e.g., tip over). The result of such deformation and/or breakage may be waste of gas product, or worse yet the escape of unsafe gas product into the environment.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a cylinder valve assembly which will enable a cylinder to be transported from a charging station to a dispensing station without a dispensing valve.